BRICK — A man who is in the country illegally is facing deportation back to El Salvador after he and the driver of a van he was riding in were found to not be wearing seat belts after a traffic stop.

Melvin Martinez-Guevara, 25, of Elizabeth, was arrested on June 10 when officers conducting the traffic stop found him sitting on a tool box in the back of the van without wearing a seat belt.

According to the police, they learned Martinez-Guevara had an active National Crime Information Center warranton charges of homicide gang activity. He was taken to headquarters and charged with riding on parts not intended for passengers and failure to wear a seatbelt.

After his arrest and processing, Brick police said the man was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who confirmed he was in the country illegally. In addition to the local charges, Martinez-Guevara was also charged with unlawful entry into the United States and is being held at a federal detention center in Elizabeth.

Brick police said the driver of the van was issued a summons for failure to have his commercial name displayed on his vehicle.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com

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